Source: Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy plans to plead guilty

NEW YORK -- Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy planned to plead guilty in federal court on Wednesday to charges alleging he bet on games he officiated, a person familiar with the betting scandal probe said.

Donaghy was to turn himself at Brooklyn federal court, the person, who was not authorized to speak about the case, said late Tuesday on condition of anonymity.

Donaghy's attorney, John Lauro, and federal prosecutors declined to comment.

Besides allegedly placing his own wagers, investigators also examined whether Donaghy provided inside information to others, including referees' schedules, according to a person familiar with the investigation.

The FBI first contacted the NBA on June 20 to talk about a referee alleged to be gambling on games, and the two sides met on June 21, NBA commissioner David Stern said last month. Donaghy resigned July 9, though Stern said he would have fired him sooner but was told it might affect the investigation.

Stern blamed a ''rogue, isolated criminal'' for the betting scandal that has devastated the league and threatened the credibility of every referee.

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The Sabres were expected to move players at the trade deadline, but sending their top goaltender to the Islanders appears to be a rather curious move. Buffalo had already moved Jhonas Enroth to Dallas in exchange for Anders Lindback, who began his career with the lightning.

Lindback has been brutal this season, posting a record of 0-7-0 with a 3.95 GAA in seven starts with the Stars. He seems to be the most likely candidate to start tonight in Tampa. In the event that the Sabres choose to press Johnson into action, he's not been that sharp either, coming off a loss to Carolina that saw him surrender five goals on 41 shots.

Tampa owns the NHL's most potent offense, averaging over 3.3 goals per game. That could spell disaster for the Sabres who own the league's worst defense, surrendering more than 3.3 goals per game.

Tampa has won it's last three versus the Sabres, totaling a dozen goals in those three games. We should expect Lightning to strike in Tampa tonight.

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